Manifest Destiny
Obvious Fate... Manifest Destiny: a journey of the expansion of America Manifest Destiny As the United States expanded in the 1800s, many Americans were inspired by an idea known as Manifest Destiny. They believed that the United States had a duty to stretch westward to the Pacific Ocean and even beyond. In doing so the nation would spread Protestant and democratic ideals across the North American continent.The idea of “Manifest Destiny” was often used by American expansionists to justify U.S. annexation of Texas, Oregon, New Mexico, and California and later U.S. involvement in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Philippines ("Manifest Destiny,"'' Par. 1). Manifest Destiny cannot be described by specific policy, but was more of less just an idea or a belief that helped shape what people did and think about for the country. Manifest Destiny was a conviction in expansionism alongside other popular ideas of the era. The word "Manifest Destiny" was more or less used by prime figures and important politics to expand and gain land for the benifit of the country. Origin It first appeared in print in 1839. It pretty much stated that it was "a God given right" to expand and take land and make it part of America. The term "Manifest Destiny" was first used in the 1840s to justify U.S. expansion into Texas, Oregon, and Mexico. The Jacksonian journalist John O'Sullivan originated the phrase. The "manifest destiny" of the United States, he wrote in 1845, was "to overspread the ocntinent alloted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions" (Weinberg, Par. 1). John O'Sullivan was a political writer and advocate for the Democratic Party. He was a lawyer, journalist, and legislator, was born aboard a British man-of-war off the coast of Gibraltar, the son of John thomas O'Sullivan, a U.S. diplomat and sea captain, and Mary rowly. Descended from a long line of colorful Irish expatriates and soldiers of fortune, in childhood O'Sullivan eagerly absorbed tales of the family's adventures. The romantic twist of his birth aboard an enemy ship during the War of 1812 was repeated throughout his life's uneven course. Julian hawthorne, son of author Nathaniel Hawthorne, observed of his father's close friend: : "His faith and enthusiasm in 'projects' knew no bounds; he might be decieved and bankrupted a hundred times, and would toes the mark the next time with undiminished confidence. He was continually, and in the quietest way, having the most astonishing and cataclysmic adventures" (Boyer and Dubofsky, Par. 1). Expansion The phrase was initially the product of a political agenda to acquire territories and expand the United States westward. This was not the first use of American Propaganda and certainly not the last. The proposed movement would influence everyone from the farmer to the politician, because it would provide new land for those who were willing to make the journey and effort to claim it. America would expand and soon industries and railroads would be established in the west, spreading our reaches from coast to coast. This of course influenced the economy and lifestyle of Americans greatly. In 1862, President Lincoln passed the Homestead Act which promoted a huge surge in the westward migration. The Homestead Act gave out allotments of 160 acres in the west to anyone who wanted it, (as long as they met the stipulations of being a 21 years old, and agreeing to build a house of certain size on the property and then live in it for at least 5 years.) This was a huge incentive to those with little or no money, or immigrants who were trying to establish a life and wanted property of their own (Collins, Par. 4). The acquisition of large land areas by the United States following the annexation of Texas in 1845 and Mexico’s cession of land that followed the Mexican War reopened the issue of slavery in U.S. territories as a national issue. During the same period, most citizens embraced the idea of manifest destiny and its call for expansion of the United States and eventual control of the North American continent (Clark. Par. 1). The belief of Manifest Destiny helped the government and the people of United States find a "morally" right excuse to spread throughout the whole country and counquer or take land as they please because they thought it was destined for them to take over America and spread westward. The struggle for possession of the lush Oregon Country was among the most difficult and danger-fraught episodes in American westward expansion. At various times, Spain, Russia, Great Britain, and the United States laid claims to Oregon. Their claims rested on such diverse supports as papal bulls and imperial ukases, but most strongly upon voyages of discovery and exploration between the 1540’s and the 1790’s. Spanish navigators first mapped the California coast during the mid-sixteenth century and first sighted the mouth of the Columbia River in 1775 (Wilson, Par. 1). Manifest Destiny also helped United States obtain Mexico and Texas. The democrats used the excuse of Manifest Destiny in the 1940's to justify the war with Mexico. Conclusion Although Manifest Destiny was very well expressed in the 1800's, it was still used as an excuse and a historic way of help for presidents and others in the future. Manifest Destiny helped the United States obtain more land and make it the great nation it is today, through all the wars and battles won and lost, America is what it is today because of the bold movement of expanding westward into and through what was then, unknown territory. Resources Albert Weinberg, ''Manifest Destiny, 1935. Frederick Merk, Manifest Destiny and Mission in American History, 1963. Anders Stephanson, Manifest Destiny, ''1995. Print. Boyer, Paul S., and Melvyn Dubofsky. ''The Oxford Companion to United States History. ''Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001. Print. BoyerPaul S., and Melvyn Dubofsky. ''The Oxford Companion to United States History. ''Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001. Print. Clark, John G. "Compromise of 1850." ''Great Events from History: The Nineteenth Century. Ed. John Powell. Salem Press, 2007. Salem History Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Collins, James L. "ManifestDestiny." Modern America. ''WikiSandbox, Web. 26 Apr. 2007. Web 10 Nov. 2013 Gast, John. "''American Progress" Painted by John Gast in 1872 American Memory Collection, ''Library of ''Congress. ''Digital image. ''Manifest Destiny. ''Modern America, 26 Apr. 2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. ''John O'Sullivan ', Library of Congress. ''Digital image. ''Manifest Destiny. ''Modern America, 26 Apr. 2007. Web. 10 Nov.2013. "Manifest Destiny." ''Britannica School. ''Britannica, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Wilson, Theodore A. "United States Acquires Oregon Territory." ''Great Events from History: The Nineteenth ''Century''. Ed. John Powell. Salem Press, 2007. Salem History Web. 20 Nov. 2013. kikjkj